The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-01-12
sormar to digest. Taxes the tax-pay-

ssN. G. g." of the Ne1cs and Courier
published in the issue of the 10th
inst, has thrown out some sugges,
tons that might we'll afford thought
for our Representatives till the next
Legislature.
Gen. Hagood does not believe there
is any extravaganza in the adminlstra,
ton of the Executive branch Of the
government. He says: Il was in the
Comptroller Generals Office foul
years and know every salary, from
Bill Roses up. You might scrape
$40 from his pay and q proportionate
amount from the salaries of the clerks
and State officers, and might reduce
the expenses thousand dollars in
this way, but it would impair the ser,
vice
The leaks, he says, may be found
in the Lunatic Asylum, the Penitenti.
ary, and the county administration.
When he was Governor Gen. Ha-
good said there were over 600 patients
in the asylum, and all but about p
were supported by the State. 1t is
evident, ne continued, there are
great many people in the asylum who
have no business there, at the expense
of the State. The remedy he gives
for this is that the counties be requir-
ed to support their luuatics. Then
the officials directly accountable to
the voter would be more careful to
see that the benefciaries to the Asy-
Ilum had not the means to pay their
expenses.
The penitentiary, he says, should
be made sustaining. For ten years
we have had from 500 to 1000 con-
yicts under sentence, and yet in only
one year did the State receive any
profit from their labor. They should
be made to earn their own living. Il
it were not for the stigma which
would attach to convict ownership,
Gen. Hagood asserted that he would
be willing tolease the whole peniten-
tiary. Why I would be willing now
to pay from $50 to sl10 for coavicts
to work on my plantation.
To make the penitentiary prohta'
bic to the State Gen. Hagood propos-
ed that the Superintendent be allow
ed to make contracts for work all over
the State. Put him in position
where he can bid for the grading of a
railroad or any other job of that kind.
He can establish camps wherever the
work is to be done, and have the con-
victs under the control OF the peniten-
tiary. There is nothing to prevent
the establishment of q dozen branches
in different parts OF the State.
IF there is work to be done in
Colleton or in Pickens, let
safe stockades be built for the con-
victs and put them to work there.
About the County Government,
Gen. Hagood says:
"Our county expenses are altogeth-
er too great. In Radical days the
State levy used ia be as high as ten or
twelve mills. We have cut that down
to four and quarter mills. Yet the
levy for ordinary county purposes,
which used to be about three mills in
the worst days of Radicalism, is just
as high now. Why can't we reduce
the county as well as the State levy?
We have too many county officers.
The work is divided between a num-
Der of men who are generally poorly
paid, instead of being committed to a
| few well salaried officers, who could
better perform it. But our whole
county system is cumbrous and un-
suited to the State. It is too expen-
sive for sparse population. It re-
minds me-" concluded the General,
with a half smile and numerous
twinkle of the eye, "ot q man buying
an elephant to draw bull tongue
plough
There is, at least, great deal in
what Gen. Hagood has said about the
penitentiary. The inmates of this in
stitution should be made to earn their
own living. The institution itself
should bring revenue to the State. To
reach this end, what Gen. Hagood has
said appears most feasible.
Short Weights in Cotton.
Another Letter from Farmer.